High command will take call on appointment of K’taka Dy CM: Shivakumar

Amid speculations surrounding the choice for deputy chief minister in Karnataka, the top contender and senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar on Tuesday said that the decision would be taken by the Congress high command, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.

“I don’t want to show my strength. I don’t want to show my numbers. I have faith in Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. We all believe in one man resolution, that is the party high command. They will take a call on who has to be what,” Shivakumar said.

With one day left for the swearing-in ceremony of chief minister-elect HD Kumaraswamy, talk are rife about who would be appointed his deputy in the unexpected alliance government of Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) in the state.

Shivakumar remarked that both sides had to overcome their personal issues for the alliance, which was made in general interest.

“We had a lot of bitter experiences but the situation has changed now. When Rahul ji has taken a decision to have a secular government, we have to sacrifice, we have to swallow a lot of things and for the betterment of the state, the community and the country, we should not have our personal aspirations,” he said.
Notably, Shivakumar has been pitted against JD(S) in the past parliamentary elections and assembly elections and even defeated former prime minister HD Deve Gowda in his stronghold of Kanakpura in 1989.

The Congress, which emerged as the second largest party after recently-held Karnataka state assembly elections, has forged an alliance with the JD(S) to form a government in the state. Kumaraswamy is set to take oath as Karnataka Chief Minister on Wednesday.